1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in a generalized manner to hermetically sealed glass containers such as ampuls and the like which, after being filled through a filling opening with the desired product, are hermetically sealed by flame-sealing the filling opening. Such sealing protectively isolates the container's contents against contamination and evaporation. In more particular respects, the present invention pertains to a one-piece, hand tool for use in providing protective manual assistance in breaking off, or snapping off, the end portion of such hermetically sealed containers to accommodate removal of the container's contents.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the past, it has been customary practice to package various types of fluid medicaments, pharmaceuticals, substances such as, among others, injectables and like fluids requiring aseptic or sterile packaging in hermetically sealed containers such as glass ampuls, or the like, in order to more effectively protect the container's contents from contamination and evaporation. Conventionally, such containers have been structured in such manner that removal of the contents is effected by manually snapping off, or breaking off, an axially projecting end portion of the container along a constricted and/or weakened peripheral neck region selectively located between the main body portion and the axially projecting end portion of the container. Such breakage is ordinarily accomplished by manually grasping the axially projecting end, or tip end, in one hand and grasping the body portion of the container, or ampul, in the other hand so that the intended breakage location is located intermediate each hand. Thereafter, the tip end may be broken off in response to the application of a manually exerted flexural force, or bending force imparted to the container. When properly executed, the container will ordinarily fracture in the constricted and/or weakened neck region and thereby provide accessibility to the container's contents. However, on occasion, the container may unexpectedly fracture in a location other than in the constricted neck region. Also, small glass fragments may be generated during breakage which are apt to enter the container. No less importantly, the residual raw edges remaining after fracturing of the container may present potential sources of hand injury.
In an endeavor to minimize the danger of hand injury associated with manual opening of hermetically sealed containers of the type described, various types of tools have been devised and used in the past. Among the various types of known tools, or devices, some are structured or designed in such manner that they form an associated part of the container and are essentially nonreusable with other containers. U.S. Pat. No. 1,956,568 is exemplary of a device of this latter type. Moreover, many of the more common versions of finger protective devices take the form of a protective sleeve which is shaped to fit in relatively snug relationship around the removable end of the container. Typical of such protective sleeve types of devices are, among others, those shown and described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,544,020; 3,720,250 and 3,862,654. Due in at least part to the relatively close or snug-fitting styling of the protective finger devices shown and described in these last-mentioned patents, they tend to be restricted in usage to essentially one size ampul-type container. Thus, several different sizes of these devices would be required for use in conjunction with the various size ampuls commonly used by physicians, veterinarians, nurses and others for administration of prescribed amounts of the container's contents. Moreover, the time and inconvenience involved in selecting the proper size device necessary for opening each particular size ampul would render them unsuitable as reusable devices. In recognition of such unsuitability, the latter type of protective finger devices are customarily sold or distributed as single use items which after use are discarded together with the removed end of the ampul or container. To minimize the added production, storage and shipping costs, which result in consequence of furnishing a protective finger device as a companion item for each container requires that inexpensive and lightweight fabricating materials be utilized. Thus, such nonreusable devices are ordinarily fabricated from relatively flexible materials, such as treated paper, rubber, molded plastics and similar nonrigid materials. Nonetheless, the additional cost is quite substantial when considered in the light of the high volume usage of such ampuls or containers in various health care facilities and institutions.
No less importantly, the protective finger devices heretofore known in the art generally are not designed or structured to minimize the occurrence of objectionable glass fragmentation resulting during opening of the ampul. Commonly, the sleeve-type finger protectors merely protect the fingers of the user and do not assist in effectively promoting a clean localized fracture in the constricted neck region of the ampul or container. As a consequence, such devices are not structured to effectively minimize or avoid the occurrence of glass fragmentation during fracture of the container neck. Moreover, as a result the objectionable potentiality that during fracture of the container neck glass fragments may gravitate or be propelled onto the hands of the user or into the container's contents is not effectively alleviated by these prior art devices.